Control-releasing device.



H. A. DODGE.

CONTROL RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. I9I4.

l 1v 9 1 ,878. Patented July 18, 1916.

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HOWARD A. DODGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROL-RELEASING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1s, 1916.

Application led April 6, 1914. Serial No. 829,791.

T0 all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD A. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Control-Releasing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to releasing devices, and more especially to releasing devices to unlock a drawer used in cash registers, and the principal object is to provide a combination releasing mechanism dependent upon a plurality and sequence of operations.

It is also an object to provide a releasing device with a manually operated combination, together with releasing means which are operated by the weight of the other hand on a rest adjacent the writing opening.

In the drawings accompanying this specilication and forming therewith the application for Letters Patent: Figure 1 is a plan view of a register, a portion of the device being shown in section to clearly illustrate the releasing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the register showing the invention in elevation. l Fig. 3 is a detail of the tripping bell crank adapted to be operated manually. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on the line 1 -1 of Fig. 2, illustrating the combination locking mechanism.

Heretofore in the operation of cash register drawer releasing devices, the operation has been dependent upon the combination lock alone, and usually capable of operation by one hand, this being objectionable in that it permits the use of one hand for other and possibly unlawful purposes, while unauthorized parties are attempting to open the cash register drawer.

This Ainvention overcomes the above difficulty and provides a device which may be operated manually when the cover is open, as well as requiring pressure of one hand of the operator where the visual registration is made and the combination lock controlled by the other hand coincidently with the tripping of the latch by the thumb of the same hand.

More specifically in the drawings, 5 represents the pivoted top of a cash register having mounted thereon a plate 6 provided with a slotted opening 7 pivoted adjacent to which is a plate 8 acting as a hand rest when visible registration is made upon suitable slips of paper disposed through the slot 7. This cover 5 is adapted to be secured by means of any locking medium to form a cover for a chamber immediately thereunder formed by a shelf 9 below which is a base 10, upon which the cash drawer 11 is slidably mounted and normally under the tension of a spring, not shown. A suitable side wall 12 secured to the base supports the shelf 9 and the cover 5, this wall having an opening 13 within easy reach of the lingers of an operators hand when the thumb of this hand is extended in front of the face of the machine, this opening being adapted to be covered by a hood 14 of the common type.

Mounted on the inner wall adjacent the opening 13 is a bracket 15 in which is pivotally mounted a pivoted latch 16 which is provided with an arm 17 which extends in the path of the thumb plunger 1S slidably mounted in the front wall 19 of the register. The latch 16 is formed with a verticallyextending slot 16', arranged adjacent its outer end. Also mounted on the bracket l5 are a plurality of spring actuated sliding tumblers 20 which have secured thereto adjustable studs 21 so that the combination may be readily changed, these studs in each instance being secured in the sliding tumblers 2O by means of screws 22. The studs 21 have outwardly projecting portions which are staggered in vertical relation to each other according to the combination it is desired to effect; one or more of the studs projecting into the path of travel of the latch 16 to prevent movement thereof, with the remaining studs disposed clear of the path of travel of the latch, asparticularly shown in Fig. 4. Tnmblers 2() are fitted with linger-pieces 20', extending into the opening 13, adapted to be engaged by the lingers in advancing the tumblers Q0 to dispose the studs 21 on certain of the tumblers 2O in alinement with the slots 16 on the latch 16, and thereby permit rocking movement of the latter.

The rearwardly disposed portion of a slotted latch 16 is provided with a lip 23 which is adapted to be engaged by a notch in the lever 24 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 25, its oppositely disposed end projecting into the path of the arm 26 of a bell crank 27 pivoted at 28 on a bracket 52,9, this bracket 29 being supported upon the shelf 9. The upper and outer end of this bracket is provided with a right-angled projection 30 which is disposed beneath a spring actuated pin 31 carried in a bore in the top shelf 5, this pin being secured to the lower face of the pivoted hand plate 8, the spring 3Q being interposed between the cover 5 and the plate to normally hold the plat-e in elevated position.

The latch for locking the drawer consists of a rod 33 mounted in a channel in the base 10 transversely disposed in relation to the path of movement of the drawer, the end adjacent the combination tumblers having an upwardly extending lug 311 which bears against one side of the lip 23 on the pivoted latch 16. The inner end of this rod is provided with a sliding bearing formed by the slotted plate 35, in which slot 1s mounted the tongue 36 secured to or formed of a portion of the rod 33. A spring 37 fastened to the rod at the point 38 secured to the base at 39 normally tends to keep the latch 16 in an advanced position and holds the lip 23 of the latch against a stop 40. Mounted on the lower side of the drawer is a strike 41 having a suitably disposed shoulder which engages with the inner face of the tongue 36 and holds the drawer in its locked position, the inclined face l2 of this strike engaging the inclined face of the tongue and forcing it out of position when the drawer is returned after being released. A spring 13 is connected to the lever 24 at a point adjacent the notch therein and to a pin il on the shelf 9 to normally keep the lever in engagement with the lip of the latch 16.

In the operation of the invention the ledger sheet exposed, extending through the slot 7, is drawn over the plate 8 and the required notations written thereon; the weight of the hand on the plate S operating to depress the latter and thereby depress the bellcrank 27, through the pin 31. The bellcrank 27 is thus rocked to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby rocking the lever 24- and moving the notch therein out of engagement with the lip of the latch 16. `While the lever 21 is held in this position the necessary tumblers, 2O are operated by the fingers of the other, usually the left, hand, as before described, to position the studs 21 thereon in alinement with the vertical slot 16 in the latch 16. The plunger 18 is then depressed by the thumb, thereby rocking the latch into the position shown in Figs. l and 4; the studs 21 on the advanced tumblers 20 then extending into the slot 16. This movement of the latch 16 acts on the rod 33 to withdraw the tongue 36 from engagement with the strike 41. The drawer 11 will then be thrown open by its operating spring in the manner common in cash register construction. The thumb-piece 18, tumblers Q0 and plate S are then released and the parts restored to their normal positions; the spring 32 returning the plate 8 to its uppermost position, the spring -15 returning the tumblers 20 to their retracted positions, and the spring 37 restoring the latch tongue 36 and the latch 16 to their normal positions. The lever 21 will then be moved into engagement with the lip 23 on the latch 16 by the action of the spring 43. On closing the drawer 11 the inclined face 42 of the strike will ride over the tongue 36 and depress the latter in opposition to the spring 37 to permit the tongue 36 to ride over and engage the strike 41 and re-lock the drawer in its closed position, thus completing the operation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in order to open the drawer 11 it is necessary to depress the plate 8, shift the selected tuinblers 20, and operate the thumb-piece 1S in order to unlock the drawer.

What l claim is:

1. A releasing device for cash registers comprising the combination with a cash register drawer, of a spring-pressed tongue engageable with the drawer to retain the latter in a closed position, a pivoted latch, means whereby rocking said latch will disengage the tongue from the drawer, a lever normally engaging said latch to prevent operation thereof, a pivoted plate, means whereby depression of said plate will actuate the lever to release the pivoted latch, a series of spring-pressed tumblers, and adjustable studs on said tumblers for preventing operation of said latch and adapted to be moved, on manipulation of the tumblers, into register with a slot in the latch to permit operation of the latter on depression of the pivoted plate.

2. In a drawer-releasing device for cash registers, a plurality of spring-pressed tumblers, adjustable studs thereon, a pivoted latch having a longitudinal slot arranged to register with said studs on proper manipulation of the tumblers, means controlled by said latch for holding the drawer in a closed position, a pivoted plate on said latch, and means controlled by said plate for normally locking said latch against operation and adapted to release the latch on depression of said plate.

3. A releasing mechanism, comprising a casing having a plurality of openings therein, a spring actuated plate adjacent one of said openings, a plurality of sliding tumblers mounted adjacent the second of said openings, studs mounted on said tumblers, a pivoted latch member having a slot adapted to register with a common combination of said studs, an operating plunger for said pivoted latch, a sliding latch adapted to engage a strike on the de` vice to be secured, a pivoted lever mounted in the path of movement of said pivoted latch having a notch adapted to engage and lock said latch, spring actuated means to normally engage said lever and said pivoted latch, and a pivoted lever interposed between the pin of said pivoted plate and said lever, whereby a depression of said plate releases said pivoted latch locked by said lever, and permits the operation of the pv- 10 oted latch to shift said sliding latch.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of March7 1914.

HOWARD A. DODGE.

Witnesses:

EDMUND A. STRAUSE, MARIE BATTEY.

Copies of this patent'l may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

